


Up Close & Personal

by Wle0416



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: ALL THE FLUFF, Alternate Universe - College/University, Boys In Love, Fluff, M/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:40:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26107345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wle0416/pseuds/Wle0416
Summary: From the prompt “I fall more in love with you each day.” Malex college AU where Alex is nervous about an upcoming gig and needs Michael close by.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 17
Kudos: 70





	Up Close & Personal

**Author's Note:**

> Partly inspired by the fact that when I was a kid I never wanted people in my family to watch me perform in public because it would freak me out lol.

167 days.

That's how long Michael had been seeing Alex Manes, music major, lead singer of the alternative band Magic Muses, and the most beautiful creature walking around the University of New Mexico campus on any given day.

Some days Michael couldn't believe his life was real. He didn't go as far as to pinch himself to feel some kind of physical confirmation that he was indeed living this insanely beautiful life, but he did look at himself in the mirror some days and smile back at his reflection.

He was a lucky bastard, and Alex had a lot to do with that.

"You never told me which tie you like better?" Alex asked on a Thursday evening, as he and Michael were lounging in the family room of Michael's condo. Alex had a gig the next evening at the biggest local bar near the UNM campus, and to say he was stressing out would be an understatement.

Michael got up from where he was sitting on the floor playing Super Mario Brothers and plucked the red tie out of Alex's left hand. "I actually did tell you I liked the red tie better earlier, but you were already thinking about what pants to wear."

Alex cocked his head to the side, a little smile threatening his lips. "Okay. Sorry. This is just -"

"The biggest gig of your life," Michael finished the sentence for him. "I know. And you are going to kill it. I have no doubt in my mind."

"Thank you," Alex replied a little breathlessly, before moving forward to give Michael a barely-there kiss on the forehead.

Michael returned to his video game, while Alex left to go back to Michael's bedroom and put together his badass Rockstar look.

When he returned a few minutes later, Michael could still feel his jumpy energy, and he wasn't surprised when he sat down on the couch behind Michael and asked if he could talk.

Michael paused the game and whirled around to look up at his beau. "What's up?"

"I've been thinking. You know how I usually like you towards the back of the crowd when I'm performing? Well, the Rig has a massive stage, and I get a VIP table right next to the stage. I was kind of hoping you could sit there with Maria and Liz and whoever they bring."

Michael sat up a little straighter and quirked his eyebrows. "I thought I distracted you?"

Alex huffed a nervous laugh. "You do. You're always cheesing so hard it makes me want to laugh. And you make me nervous. But look at me. I'm a mess. A total mess. And the performance is still twenty-four hours away. I just think it will help ground me if I know you're right there."

Michael was offended the first time, 82 days ago, when Alex had told him that he loved having him at his shows but that it was hard for him to concentrate when all he saw front and center was Michael's beautiful face smiling at him like it was Christmas morning. But then again, Michael found it hard to fold his laundry when Alex looked at him with those deep brown eyes, so he understood where he was coming from.

That's why the last twenty-some-odd shows, Michael had found a seat at a bar far enough away where he could see Alex in all his glory, but Alex couldn't quite pick him out with all the lighting and the hands waving around wildly.

"If that's what you want, I'll be right there."

Alex leaned forward again and ran his fingers through Michael's unruly curls, words seemingly on the tip of his tongue. But instead of letting them spill out, he leaned forward and brought his perfectly flush lips to meet Michael's in a searing kiss.

********

Michael had only been to the Rig once since he turned 21, and that was to celebrate Alex's best friend Maria's birthday a few weeks back. It was a massive space, and a popular weekend hangout for locals and UNM students, who loved to hear the live music early and then dance to the DJ well into the night.

The quieter, mellow bars Alex usually played at were much more Michael's scene and where he loved to see Alex shine. Still, he had to admit that just looking at the stage and knowing that in a few minutes, Alex would be up there in all his glory on the biggest stage he's ever performed at filled him with immense pride.

"I'm so nervous!" Maria squealed, as she sat down next to Michael at the VIP table off to the left of the stage.

The table sat maybe five people comfortably, but there were currently eight people squeezed in waiting for the Muses to take the stage.

"I know!" Max's girlfriend, Liz, beamed from across the table. "Can you believe Alex is playing the Rig? This so huge for him. He must be freaking out."

_ You have no idea _ , Michael wanted to add in but kept his thoughts to himself. For as proud as he was, there was a small piece of him freaking out too. He just wanted this night to be perfect for Alex. God did he want it to be perfect.

At precisely nine, Alex and his bandmates, Trevor and Dylan, took the stage to the crowd's thunderous applause. They'd built a nice little following throughout the past two years, but the number of people there about tripled their usual crowd.

Alex looked delicious in his thigh hugging black jeans, white button-down, and skinny red tie. Michael noticed that he opted for less eyeliner than usual, but it didn't matter how much or how little of anything Alex wore. He was always to die for.

"Alright, alright, guys. Thank you for coming out tonight. We are the Magic Muses, and I hope you guys are ready to have a good time!" Alex shouted before the band jumped right into their forever opening number, Man on Fire.

Michael loved watching Alex sing, but he found himself looking out at the crowd more than he usually did, taking in the happy faces of people swinging their hips and vibing to the lively tune that was always a hit with the audience.

By the halfway point of their set, everything was going brilliantly. It may have been the best set Michael had ever heard the band play, and Alex was totally in his element, playing to the audience and reveling in the energy they were feeding him. He stole a couple of glances towards their table, and Michael did his best not to cheese too hard in return.

"This next song," Alex began after taking a long swig of water. "This is a new song, and we haven't played it in public yet. I wrote this for my boyfriend, who inspires me, puts up with my crap, and makes me feel, well, you'll hear it in the song. I fall more in love with you each day."

Michael could hear a faint chorus of awes echoing around the bar, but he was too entranced by the words Alex had just spoken, all while his eyes bore into Michael's. He felt like the rest of the world melted away and left only the two of them staring at one another, the love radiating from Alex to Michael and back again.

They'd never said those three words to one another, and before Trevor began to pluck away on his bass, Michael made sure to mouth them to Alex and place his hand over his heart.

Alex smiled and winked before closing his eyes to begin singing.

Michael ignored the hollering of his friends at the table and did his best to block out all the noise and zone into the words Alex was singing. They were for him.

_ Love, destiny, need _ .

He was going to need a private performance of this song later so he could fully take it all in and cherish the fact that the man he was in love with was totally in love with him.

If Michael was distracting, he just couldn't be bothered to care at that moment.

He was in love, and he'd been waiting to say it for 167 days. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading :)


End file.
